“Is it possible that the saint whom God had prepared to become the chosen vessel of the Lord should be born of unrighteous parents?” Epiphanius the Wise, author of the biography of Sergius of Radonezh, asks this question. And he answers to himself: “Of course not. Before the birth of the baby, great miracles accompanied his birth. ” And the saint’s parents were also difficult people.
In this article you will read about the mother of Sergius, Mary of Radonezh. Who was this woman, ranked by the Orthodox Church as reverend? Many people know the life of St. Sergius of Radonezh. But who were his parents - Cyril and Maria? Did they have children other than Sergius? Why are the saint's parents from Radonezh revered? When is their memory honored? What prayers should you say then? Read about all this below.
Biography of a married couple
Alas, we can not say anything about when Cyril and Maria of Radonezh were born. We can only assume, since they died at a venerable age, that they were born in the second half of the 13th century. Most likely, Cyril inherited the boyar title from his father. He owned an estate in the village of Varnitsa, which was located four miles from Rostov the Great. But it is reliably known that Cyril was in the service, first with Prince Konstantin Borisovich, and then with Konstantin Vasilyevich.
Obviously, his wife Maria was also a boyar family. But who her parents were, how and where her childhood and adolescence proceeded, and even when she got married, historians do not know. Spouses lived richly, but without chic. Cyril was absent from the court of the princes of Rostov only on duty. Most of the time the couple spent on their estate, not disdaining, as Epiphanius the Wise writes, and physical labor. They were pious people, but they were no different from the Orthodox people. They had two sons - Stefan and Peter.
Miracles performed by Sergius in the bosom of his mother
But here Maria Radonezhskaya became pregnant for the third time. At first, nothing boded miracles. But once Mary went to the holy liturgy and became in the church. Here is how the biographer Sergius of Radonezh Epiphanius describes this amazing case: when the priest opened the book of the Gospels and prepared to read from it, the baby exclaimed in a loud voice from the womb of his mother.
The amazement of those around was great, but what should Mary herself feel? The unborn baby also cried out loudly during the service twice: before singing the cherubim glory and when the priest proclaimed: “Hear, glory to the saints!” Since then, Sergius’s parents realized that an extraordinary child should appear in their family. And they, as the mother of the prophet Samuel, Saint Anna, once decided to devote him to the church.
Religious exploits of Mary herself
It seems that to bear in the bosom of the future saint, who also announced so early on himself, is already a great merit to God. But St. Mary of Radonezh, as the author of the life of the founder of the Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra writes, kept away from all uncleanness and filth. She regarded the child she carried as “a kind of priceless treasure”. While other pregnant women got their husbands whims, Mary was very restrained in food.
She strictly kept posts and generally refused any fast food. When she was on demolition, she excluded fish from the diet. She ate only boiled vegetables and cereals, and drank only spring water, and even then in small quantities. She very often prayed alone to God, asking Him to observe her and the baby. She also often mentioned that if he was born male, she would dedicate him to the Church, that is, she would give him up as a monk as soon as he reached the age of understanding of good and evil.
Mother of a little saint
In May 1314, Maria Radonezhskaya happily gave birth to her third son. After 40 days, his parents carried him to church to baptize. And the priest called the baby Bartholomew. And not only because on that day (June 11) the Church honored the memory of a saint with that name. “Bartholomew” means “Son of Consolation” (Joy). The priest also felt that this baby would serve as a comforter not only for his parents, but also for many other Christians. He predicted to his parents: "Have fun, rejoice, for this is the vessel chosen by God, the abode of the Holy Spirit and the minister of the Trinity."
Little Bartholomew, accustomed to the posts in the womb, did not want to abandon them. The rich noblewoman wanted to give the child, as well as her two first sons, a nurse. But the baby did not want to take breasts. Then Mary undertook to feed her son herself. And as she noticed, on Wednesdays and Fridays, the baby refused to suck milk, and on other days drank it. Wanting to make her son’s food more nutritious, Mary began to eat meat. But little Bartholomew immediately refused to take breasts. Because of him, the mother completely abandoned the meat.
The adolescence of Bartholomew and the political ups and downs of the Principality of Rostov
When the third son of Cyril and Maria of Radonezh grew up a little, he independently continued abstinence. On Wednesdays and Fridays, he held a severe post. And on other days did not eat meat food. Moreover, he was always support and joy for his parents, fully justifying his name. Years passed, and the two eldest sons, Stefan and Peter, got married, got their families. Only the youngest, Bartholomew, remained with his parents. When he was 15 years old, there were changes that affected not only his family, but also the fate of many Rostovites.
The Principality became dependent on the Moscow ruler Ivan Kalita, who sent his governor to the city. He was not distinguished by a good disposition. And since the Principality of Moscow paid tribute to the Golden Horde, the governor robbed the inhabitants of Rostov the Great. From the oppression of the governor, Cyril completely went bankrupt. And the family decided to move to little Radonezh, which is in the Principality of Moscow. Therefore, the couple, Mary and Cyril, and called by the name of this town.
End of earthly life
Bartholomew from adolescence wanted to take tonsure and often reminded his parents of their promise to devote him to God. Cyril and Maria did not refuse their words, but asked their son to support them in their senile weakness and poverty, because the youngest son was their only support. But since death did not come for them, the parents decided to take the tonsure themselves. For this, schemons Cyril and the Monk Maria of Radonezh retired to the monastery of Khotkovo. There they spent the rest of their days in prayer and abstinence.
Meanwhile, the fate of their eldest son, Stephen, changed. His wife is dead. Stefan, being in grief, decided to leave the world. He gave his two sons to his younger brother, Peter, and also entered the Khotkovsky monastery. In 1337, parents appeared before the Lord, and their sons buried them in the monastery, under the floor of the Intercession Cathedral. Bartholomew spent forty days at the tomb of Cyril and Mary, and then handed out his estate to the poor and retired with his brother Stefan to the Makovetsky forest, where they erected the Trinity Church, and around it a monastery. Three years later, the saint took tonsure, taking monastic name Sergius.
Church of Cyril and Mary of Radonezh
The tomb of the clan in the XIV century declared itself a variety of miracles. Firstly, Sergius of Radonezh himself pointed out that before coming to him, believers must first visit the Khotkovsky monastery. There, under the shadow of the Church of the Intercession, not only the relics of his parents were buried, but also the ashes of the wives of the older saints, Anna and Catherine. Sergius insisted that the family ties that bind him to family members are so strong that prayer reading affects the health of believers.
The chronicle of the Intercession Monastery in Khotkovo testifies to the miracles occurring at the site of the tomb. The intercession of Rev. Cyril and Mary was especially evident during the terrible epidemics: the pestilence of 1771, cholera in 1848 and 1871. The holiness of the schemons was recognized in the 19th century. This is evidenced by the church calendars of that time. Thus, the reverend schemones are commemorated on January 31 and October 11. These days read the akathist Cyril and Mary of Radonezh and the Psalter.
Defenders of the People
The church recognized the schemas as reverends only in the 19th century. But already on the icons of the 15th century, Cyril and Mary, the parents of Sergius of Radonezh, were depicted with halo around their heads. The people constantly flocked to the grave of the intercessors, asking for recovery from ailments. Pokrovsky Cathedral was rebuilt several times, but the relics until the terrible years of "militant atheism" remained in the crypt.
Above the grave was an old icon of Mary of Radonezh and other members of her family. This image embodied the idea of ​​heavenly intercession. In the center of the icon was depicted the Virgin with prayerfully raised hands. Her legs rested on the grave of the schemons. On one side of her were men of the genus: Cyril, Sergius, Stefan and Peter, and on the other - women: Maria, Anna and Catherine. According to legend, the founder of the Trinity Lavra often visited Khotkovo to pray at the grave of his parents. One of the icons of Sergius of Radonezh depicts him with a censer above the coffin in Khotkovo.
Prayers to the reverend schemons
There are several options for contacting Cyril and Mary. The couple never quarreled. Therefore, to obtain consent in the family should read troparia. It sounds like this:
"Participants in the bliss of Christ, an example of marriage and caring for children, the righteous Cyril and Mary, who have shown us the fruit of piety, St. Sergius, pray to God to send us the spirit of humble wisdom and love, to glorify the Holy Trinity in one mind and peace."
There is also a kondak, praising not only the couple, but also their son Bartholomew, known as Sergius of Radonezh. It is read to get rid of temptations and adversities, to save the family, strengthen old age and to save the soul. In prayer to the schemons of Mary and Cyril, it is necessary to ask for their intercession before the Lord, so that God would protect the believer and his whole family from demons and evil people. One should also hope that the power is granted from above to abide strictly by all the commandments of Christ.
Akathist Mary of Radonezh and Cyril, her husband
This canon is proclaimed by the priest on the day of the commemoration of the reverend schemas. Akathist consists of 13 kondaks and 12 icos. It briefly speaks of the life of the Monk Cyril and Mary, of the heavenly glory that they gained after leaving earthly life and that their relics will provide healing from weaknesses to anyone who comes to worship them with faith.